Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia Brazilian Journal of Animal Science © 2017 Sociedade Brasileira de Zootecnia ISSN 1806-9290 R. Bras. Zootec., 46(9):747-754, 2017 www.sbz.org.br
Development of Mangalarga Marchador suckling foals supplemented with fructooligosaccharides
Ana Carla Chaves Dias1, Grasiele Coelho Cabral1, Camila Ferreira e Silva1, Marcelle Christine Nascimento Ferreira2, Tatiana Werneck Franco3, Raiane Araújo Moura2, Vinícius Pimentel Silva3, Fernando Queiroz de Almeida2*
1 Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Programa de Pós-graduação em Zootecnia, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil. 2 Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Veterinária, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil. 3 Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Zootecnia, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil.
ABSTRACT - The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of prebiotic fructooligosaccharide (FOS) supplementation on the development of Mangalarga Marchador suckling foals. Sixteen Mangalarga Marchador foals, from birth to 75 days of age, were evaluated in a completely randomized design, with two treatments (experimental group and control group) with eight repetitions (animals). The foals were evaluated through body weight, morphometric, and circumferential measures. The daily, weekly, and cumulative weight gains were recorded and the morphometric measures were: withers height, croup height, body length, mid-back height, mid-back width, and thorax, shin, knee, and forearm circumferences. The mean body weight was 32.3 and 77.9 kg at birth and 75 days of age, respectively. The mean withers height was 86 and 103.8 cm at birth and 75 days of age, respectively, and the mean body length was 63.9 cm at birth, reaching 89.1 cm at 75 days of age. No significant differences in the FOS supplementation or interaction of age versus supplementation between the experimental and control groups were observed for any of the parameters evaluated. However, there were significant differences between the ages. Supplementation with prebiotic FOS does not affect the development of the Mangalarga Marchador suckling foals from birth to 75 days of age.
Key Words: body weight, equines, inulin, morphometric measures, performance, prebiotic
Introduction Knowledge about the effects of prebiotics on foal nutrition and development is limited, but prebiotics have Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are prebiotic additives been shown to have a positive influence on the bacterial composed of medium and short-chain fructose molecules colonization of the digestive tract and, consequently, linked by a β 2-1 glycosidic bond (Gibson and Wang, improve nutrient digestibility. In addition, they improve 1994). The digestive enzymes present in the mammals the gastrointestinal well-being by reducing disorders cannot hydrolyze these bonds and, therefore, FOS become such as colic and diarrhea, which are significant causes of a substrate for the microorganisms present in the digestive mortality for growing foals (Magdesian, 2005). Positive tract, stimulating the production of beneficial bacteria that effects of prebiotics has been reported for other species. can hydrolyze these bonds. Fructooligosaccharides act as a Van Leeuwen and Verdonk (2004) demonstrated improved source of energy for bacteria, which in turn releases lactic growth and feed conversion in calves with prebiotics added acid and volatile fatty acids as fermentation products and to milk substitutes. In addition, in broilers challenged these acids lower the intestinal pH and inhibit the growth of with salmonella, the FOS supplementation suppressed pathogenic bacteria (Gibson and Roberfroid, 1995). infections and a marked positive impact was observed on their development indices (Waldroup et al., 1993). There are no studies with prebiotic supplementation Received: March 30, 2017 Accepted: July 5, 2017 in growing foals, with effects on the animal performance. *Corresponding author: [email protected] The influence on the bacterial ecosystem in foals could, http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1806-92902017000900006 in the future, affect the intestinal bacterial composition How to cite: Dias, A. C. C.; Cabral, G. C.; Silva, C. F.; Ferreira, M. C. N.; Franco, T. W.; Moura, R. A.; Silva, V. P. and Almeida, F. Q. 2017. in adult horses, as already observed in other species Development of Mangalarga Marchador suckling foals supplemented with (Thompson et al., 2008; Yáñez-Ruiz et al., 2010) and, fructooligosaccharides. Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia 46(9):747-754. therefore, influence digestive efficiency. Thus, nutritional Copyright © 2017 Sociedade Brasileira de Zootecnia. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License strategies such as the inclusion of fructooligosaccharides (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is during the neonatal period could influence the growth properly cited. of horses; therefore, the objective of this study was to 748 Dias et al. evaluate the effects of prebiotic FOS supplementation on 6th thoracic vertebrae; croup height was the distance from the development of suckling foals from birth to 75 days of the ground to the highest croup point, the sacral tuberosity; age. the body length was the distance between the cranial part of the major humerus tubercle and the ischial tuberosity; Material and Methods the mid-back height was the distance from the highest point of withers to the sternum; and the mid-back width was the The present experiment was carried out on a farm distance from the caudal end of the withers, comprising located in Rio Claro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (22º51'06.9"S the space between the right and left border of the two side latitude, 43º57'29.6"W longitude, and 526 m altitude). regions (Cabral et al., 2004, Pinto et al., 2008; Godoi et al., The research was conducted according to the institutional 2013). The substernal height was defined as the distance Ethics Committee on Animal Use under case no.: 004403/ from the ground to the base of sternum and was calculated 2015-45. in this study by subtracting the withers height. Sixteen Mangalarga Marchador foals, from birth to 75 The circumferential measures were made with a days of age, were used in a completely randomized design, tape measure for the thorax, shin, knee, and forearm with two treatments. There were eight repetitions (animals) circumferences. The thoracic circumference measure in each group. The foals of experimental group were passes through the caudal end of the withers, between the supplemented with prebiotic FOS and the foals of control spinous processes T8 and T9, until the articulation of the group did not receive any supplementation. The sex of the last rib with the xiphoid process. The shin circumference animals was randomly distributed and the supplemented is measured in the middle region of the shin of one of the and control groups were composed of 62.5 and 50% of anterior limbs, formed by the metacarpal bones II, III, female foals, respectively. and IV. The knee circumference is the measure around the The prebiotic FOS used was chicory inulin (Orafti® median region of the knee, including the carpal bones. The SIPX, Beneo Institute - Connecting Nutrition and Health, forearm circumference was measured around the medial Germany). The experimental group of foals received the region formed by the radius and ulna bones (Cabral et al., FOS supplemented at a dose of 0.07 g/kg body weight orally, 2004, Pinto et al., 2008; Godoi et al., 2013). using 20-mL syringes after diluting the FOS in distilled These values were subjected to analysis of variance water each morning. Dosages were adjusted weekly per in split-splot design and the treatments were evaluated foal according to their body weight. The foals of the control in the plots and time (age) in the subplots. The mean group received only distilled water in the same volume and values were compared by the Student Newman Keuls test in the same way. (P<0.05). If the effects of age were significant, the results The foals were kept with their mothers in paddocks were subjected to regression analysis. The analyses were fitted with feeders. The mares were fed commercial carried out using the SAEG software (System of Statistical concentrate and corn silage with a 35% dry matter content, and Genetic Analysis, version 8.0). Suckling foals did not in two meals per day. The animals had ad libitum access to receive different nutritional treatment in the experimental water and mineral salt and were subjected to ectoparasite period, so males and females were not separated for the and endoparasite control using ivermectin and doramectin, statistical analysis. respectively. The foals were subjected to rational dressage to facilitate handling, weighing, and measurements. Results The evaluation of their development was based on body weight and morphometric measures. All measurements The prebiotic FOS supplementation did not have any were performed mostly by the same person to avoid large effect on the development of the foals (P>0.05). However, variations. The foals were weighed at birth and weekly up there was the effect of age (P<0.05) for all development until they were 75 days of age using an electro-mechanical variables. The mean body weight at birth in this work was platform scale (Balmak®, BKH-1000) to calculate the daily, 32.3 kg and reached 77.9 kg at 75 days of age (Figure 1), weekly, and cumulative weight gain. A hipometer recorded corresponding to 8.2 and 19.7% of the maternal body the following morphometric measures: withers height, weight, respectively. croup height, body length, mid-back height, and mid-back Mean daily weight gain was 1.0 and 0.5 kg in the first width. The withers height was the distance from the ground week and last week, respectively (Table 1). The mean to the highest point of the interscapular region, located in daily weight gain was 0.63 kg for the total experimental the space defined by the spinous processes of the 5th and period. The weekly weight gain (WWG) ranged from 7.0 kg
R. Bras. Zootec., 46(9):747-754, 2017 Development of Mangalarga Marchador suckling foals supplemented with fructooligosaccharides 749 in the first week to 2.2 kg at the end of the survey, in The mean of withers height at birth was 86 cm, reaching the 11th week (Table 1), which corresponds to a decrease 103.8 cm at 75 days of age. The withers height increased of 68.6%. The highest WWG was observed during the 17.8 cm during the evaluated period. The withers height at first three weeks (P<0.05), with a mean of 6.5 kg. The birth and at 75 days of age corresponded to 59.6 and 71.7% of cumulative weight gain increased from 7.0 kg in the first the mare withers height, respectively. The mean croup height week to 45.5 kg at 75 days of age, corresponding to a gain at birth was 87.9 cm, reaching 106.6 cm at 75 days of age. The of 84.6% (Table 1). average mid-back height and width were 28.3 and 16.9 cm at There was no effect of the prebiotic FOS supplement birth, reaching 37.1 and 26 cm at 75 days of age, respectively. or the interaction of age versus supplementation (P>0.05) This corresponds to a growth of 31.1 and 53.8% of mid- on withers height, croup height, mid-back height, and back height and width, respectively, in the same period. The width, substernal height, body length, and thoracic, substernal height at birth was 57.7 cm, reaching 66.7 cm at forearm, knee, and shin circumferences. However, there the end of the research period, when the foals were 75 days was an effect of age (P<0.05) for all the variables (Table 2). of age, characterizing a 15.6% growth in this period.
Table 1 - Mean values and standard deviation of weight gain in foals supplemented and not supplemented with fructooligosaccharides over eleven weeks Age Daily weight gain Weekly weight gain Cumulative (weeks) (DWG) (WWG) weight gain (CWG) 1 1.0±0.2a 7.0±1.4a 7.0±1.4j 2 0.90±0.2a 6.3±1.1a 13.3±1.6i 3 0.89±0.2a 6.2±1.2a 19.5±2.1h 4 0.70±0.6b 4.9±1.1b 24.1±2.9g 5 0.61±0.1bc 4.3±1.0bc 28.3±3.2f 6 0.61±0.6bc 4.3±1.1bc 32.6±4.0e 7 0.55±0.2bc 3.9±1.2cd 36.5±4.4d 8 0.51±0.2c 3.6±1.1cd 40.1±4.8c 9 0.48±0.2c 3.0±1.3d 41.4±7.4bc 10 0.51±0.2c 3.3±1.3cd 43.9±8.4ab 11 0.50±0.3c 2.2±1.5e 45.5±9.6a Means followed by different letters in the columns differ according to the SNK test Means followed by different letters differ according to the SNK test (P<0.05). (P<0.05). Effects: supplementation = not significant (NS); age = 0.000; supplementation Effects: supplementation = not significant (NS); age: 0.000; supplementation × age = × age = NS; coefficient of variation = 1.4%. NS; coefficient of variation (CV) (DWG) = 26.1%; CV (WWG) = 25.5%; CV (CWG) = 13.0%. Linear regression (DWG): Ŷ = 0.972 − 0.051 X (r2 = 41%); linear regression Figure 1 - Mean values and standard deviations of body weight 2 (WWG): Ŷ = 7.101 − 0.44 X (r = 55.1%); linear regression (CWG): Ŷ = 7.253 + (kg) of foals supplemented and not supplemented with 3.828 X (r2 = 82%), in which, in all models, Ŷ is the weight and X is the age of the animal in days. fructooligosaccharides from birth to 75 days of age.
Table 2 - Means and standard deviations of height and width measures of foals supplemented and not supplemented with fructooligosaccharides from birth to 75 days of age Age (days) Withers height (WH; cm) Croup height (CH; cm) Mid back height (MH; cm) Mid back width (MW; cm) Substernal height (SH; cm) 1 86.0±5.2k 87.8±4.9h 28.3±1.6j 16.9±1.7i 57.7±3.3f 7 89.0±3.9j 91.3±3.8g 29.6±1.5i 18.7±1.6h 59.7±2.6e 14 91.5±3.2i 93.8±3.7f 31.4±1.5h 20.1±1.1g 60.2±2.3e 21 94.2±3.4h 96.9±4.5e 32.6±1.1g 20.5±1.6g 61.7±2.7d 28 95.9±3.5g 98.7±4.5d 33.3±1.4f 21.4±1.6f 62.5±2.8cd 35 97.9±4.0f 100.8±4.5c 34.5±1.4e 22.4±1.5e 63.4±3.2c 42 99.8±3.5e 102.7±4.5b 34.9±1.4de 23.4±1.1d 64.9±2.7b 49 100.7±3.5de 103.9±4.5b 35.6±1.3cd 24.3±1.4c 65.2±2.6ab 56 101.7±3.7cd 105.5± 4.1a 36.1±1.3bc 24.7±1.3bc 65.7±2.9ab 63 102.3±4.0bc 105.9±4.5a 36.5±1.9ab 25.3±1.7abc 66.0±2.3ab 70 103.5±4.1ab 106.4±4.6a 36.9±2.0ab 25.8±1.7ab 66.0±2.0ab 75 103.8±3.8a 106.6±5.5a 37.1±2.4a 26.0±1.8a 66.7±2.1a Means followed by different letters in the columns differ according to the SNK test (P<0.05). Effects: supplementation = not significant (NS); age = 0.000; supplementation × age = NS; coefficient of variation (CV) (WH) = 1.7%; CV (CH) = 2.0%; CV (MH) = 4.8%; CV (MW) = 2.8%; CV (SH) = 2.7%.
R. Bras. Zootec., 46(9):747-754, 2017 750 Dias et al.
The mean body length at birth was 63.9 cm, reaching 75 days of age (Table 3). Shin circumference presented 89.1 cm at 75 days of age (Table 3). Therefore, there was an the smallest variation in this study. There was an average increase of 39.4% from birth to 75 days of age, corresponding increase of 12.3% from birth to 75 days of age. to 25.2 cm. The mean value of body length at birth and at The linear regression models were adjusted for the 75 days of age corresponds to 42.2 and 58.9% of the body height, width, length, and circumference variables of the length of mares, respectively. In this study, the body length Mangalarga Marchador suckling foals supplemented or of foals at birth and at 75 days of age corresponded to 42.2 not with FOS (Table 4). The foals evaluated in the present and 58.9% of the maternal body length, respectively. The experiment present growth characteristics under a tropical mean thoracic circumference of foals at birth was 70.9 cm, climate inherent to this region of the country. Although reaching 98.4 cm at 75 days of age (Table 3). The thoracic these equations can be used under different climates, more circumference at birth and at 75 days of age, in this study, information on the morphometric measures are necessary corresponds to 41.4 and 57.5%, respectively, of the thoracic to better understand the development of horses in the first circumference of mares. three months of age. The mean forearm circumference at birth was 20.5 cm, reaching 25.1 cm at 75 days of age (Table 3), Discussion corresponding to an average growth of 22.4%. The mean knee circumference of foals at birth was 20.0 cm, reaching Research evaluating foal supplementation with 22.4 cm at 75 days of age (Table 3). The mean growth of prebiotics is still very limited. Faubladier et al. (2013), the knee circumference was 12%, from birth to 75 days of evaluating foals of mares supplemented with prebiotics age. The mean shin circumference at birth was 12.2 cm, (lactic fermentation products and sprouted cereal seed), reaching 13.7 cm at the end of this study, when foals were observed larger weight of these foals compared with
Table 3 - Means and standard deviations of measures of body length and circumferences for foals supplemented or not with fructooligosaccharides, from birth to 75 days of age Body length Thoracic circumference Forearm circumference Knee circumference Shin circumference Age (days) (BL; cm) (TC; cm) (FC; cm) (KC; cm) (SC; cm) 1 63.9±3.5k 70.9±3.6k 20.5±1.3h 20.0±0.9h 12.2±0.8e 7 68.4±4.2j 76.4±3.8j 21.0±1.5g 20.2±0.8g 12.2±0.7e 14 72.6±3.6i 80.3±3.3i 21.4±1.7g 20.4±1.0f 12.2±0.7e 21 75.7±3.4h 83.7±3.0h 22.3±1.3f 20.9±0.9e 12.3±0.6e 28 77.9±4.1g 85.9±2.9g 22.7±1.4ef 21.4±0.9dh 12.6±0.6d 35 79.9±4.1f 88.6±3.9f 23.0±1.1de 21.7±0.6cefg 12.8±0.7cd 42 82.0±4.0e 90.9±3.4e 23.5±1.4cd 21.8±0.6bef 13.0±0.7c 49 84.4±3.7d 93.4±3.6d 23.7±1.4bc 21.9±0.7acde 13.3±0.5b 56 86.1±3.8c 95.0±3.4c 24.0±1.4bc 22.2±1.0abcd 13.4±0.5ab 63 86.9±5.6bc 96.0±5.4bc 24.4±1.2ab 22.2±1.1abc 13.5±0.7ab 70 88.3±5.6ab 97.4±4.8ab 25.0±1.3a 22.3±1.0ab 13.7±0.7a 75 89.1±5.7a 98.4±5.6a 25.1±1.5a 22.4±1.0a 13.7±0.7a Means followed by different letters in the columns differ according to the SNK test (P<0.05). Effects: supplementation = not significant (NS); age = 0.000; supplementation × age = NS; coefficient of variation (CV) (BL) = 2.5%; CV (TC) = 2.4%; CV (FC) = 1.1%; CV (KC) = 2.0%; CV (SC) = 1.1%.
Table 4 - Regression equations for the withers height, croup height, mid-back height and width, substernal height, body length, and thorax, forearm, knee, and shin circumferences of foals supplemented or not with fructooligosaccharides from birth to 75 days of age Morphometric measure Equation r2 P-value Withers height Ŷ = 88.31 + 0.231X 0.814 <0.0001 Croup height Ŷ = 90.52 + 0.247X 0.787 <0.0001 Mid-back height Ŷ = 29.53 + 0.113X 0.839 <0.0001 Mid-back width Ŷ = 17.96 + 0.117X 0.872 <0.0001 Substernal height Ŷ = 58.91 + 0.114X 0.711 <0.0001 Body length Ŷ = 67.3 + 0.32X 0.857 <0.0001 Thoracic circumference Ŷ = 74.77 + 0.346X 0.888 <0.0001 Forearm circumference Ŷ = 20.75 + 0.060X 0.726 <0.0001 Knee circumference Ŷ = 20.19 + 0.033X 0.679 <0.0001 Shin circumference Ŷ = 12.01 + 0.024X 0.669 <0.0001 In the linear regression equation, Ŷ is the morphometric measure variable and X is the age of the animal in days.
R. Bras. Zootec., 46(9):747-754, 2017 Development of Mangalarga Marchador suckling foals supplemented with fructooligosaccharides 751 foals of control group at 19, 26, 40, 54, and 60 days old. model appeared suitable for studying the growing of However, in the present study, direct supplementation of Mangalarga Marchador suckling foals. the prebiotic FOS did not improve the growth rates of the There was a lower dispersion of results in the first three variables evaluated in the foals. weeks of these foals compared with the following weeks. Some studies with prebiotic supplementation in mature The growth and development of foals was directly related horses have shown similar results to those observed in to genetic potential and other factors such as nutrition and the present work. Gürbüz et al. (2010) evaluated mature exercise (Hunka et al., 2014). Thus, this smaller dispersion horses receiving supplementation of FOS (30 g/day), can be explained by the greater dependence on the diet of mannan oligosaccharides (MOS; 30g/day), and FOS + mares, as milk is the main source of nutrients; therefore, MOS (15 g/day/each) and did not observe any changes there is a lesser need for foals to get their own food; in in the weight of the animals, probably because when addition, there is larger influence of the genetic factor in assessed, they had reached the respective adult weight and this phase, generating homogeneity among the animals. did not present any stress situation. The same occurred in Considering that milk is the main source of food for foals the study of Respondek et al. (2011), who evaluated obese in the first weeks, Faubladier et al. (2013) supplemented mature horses after supplementation of FOS for six weeks lactating mares with lactic fermentation products and (45 g/day), and did not observe any significant alteration sprouted cereal seeds. They observed great weight of foals in weight of the experimental and control horses. at 19, 26, 40, 54, and 60 days old that may have occurred The mean body weight of foals at birth, 32.3 kg, and due to changes in the production and composition of the 8.2% of the maternal weight was similar to that observed in a milk or changes in the maternal microbial ecosystem. study by Almeida et al. (2000) with Mangalarga Marchador In the present study, as the supplementation was given foals, who observed mean values of body weight at birth of directly to foals, the Faubladier et al. (2013) hypothesis is 34.6 kg, equivalent to 8% of the body weight of adults. In not applicable. Probably, the production and composition foals of the same breed, Cabral et al. (2004) reported a birth of the milk was similar and the colonization of the large weight equivalent to 9.7 and 11% of the maternal weight intestine of the foals was performed passively through the for male and female foals, respectively, while Santos et al. microbiota of the respective mares (Earing et al., 2012; (2005) observed 39.4 kg for foals at birth, equivalent to Faubladier et al., 2014) that did not receive any prebiotic 9.3% of the body weight of mature horses. FOS. The weight of foals at 42 days old in this work more According to the results of the morphometric than doubled, ranging from 32.3 kg at birth to 65.0 kg at 42 measurements, the value of withers height at birth (86 cm) days old, representing an increase of 101.2%. Santos et al. was the same observed in Mangalarga Marchador foals by (2005) observed similar results, with foals of 39.4 kg and Almeida et al. (2000); however, Cabral et al. (2004), Santos 72.4 kg, from birth to 40 days old, respectively, representing et al. (2005), and Manso Filho et al. (2014) observed, in 83.7% gain in body weight. In other words, regardless of Mangalarga Marchador foals, mean withers height at supplementation, foals reached a percentage of body weight birth of 89, 92.9, and 93.7cm, respectively, higher values gain at the end of the study compatible with that expected than the ones presented in this study. Cabral et al. (2004) for the breed at that same age. evaluated the growth of Mangalarga Marchador foals and During the first three weeks, there was a greater daily recorded that the mean withers height at birth was 93.4 and weight gain, reaching a daily average value of 0.93 kg, close 92.9 cm for males and females, respectively, corresponding to that observed by Santos et al. (2005) (0.95 kg/day) during to the 61.6 and 63.2% of the withers height expected at the first 20 days of life. The result observed for weekly mature age. These values were higher than those observed weight gain (6.5 kg) was close to estimative of the NRC in this study for the mare withers height (59.6%). It should (2007), which corresponds to 6.3 kg in the first month of be emphasized that in the Cabral et al. (2004) study, a larger foals with adults weighing 400 kg. The cumulative weight number of foals was evaluated in different farms, which gain was similar to that observed by Santos et al. (2005), may explain the difference in the percentual values. considering the body weight at 75 days of age (45.5 kg). Foals have high growth rates for the withers height Santos et al. (2005) recorded an average cumulative value during the first year of life and this is even more pronounced of 47.8 kg at 80 days old, which is a variation of 2.3 kg for in the first months of life (Santos et al., 1992). The definite foals of the same breed. As reported above, the weight gain registration for Mangalarga Marchador horses requires that was in agreement with the literature data, our experimental the withers height be at least 1.47 and 1.40 cm, for males
R. Bras. Zootec., 46(9):747-754, 2017 752 Dias et al. and females, respectively (ABCCMM, 2016), and 90% of were 34 and 64.4 cm respectively, during the experimental this height should appear by the time the foal is one year period, defining the foals as “far from the ground”. old (Reed and Dunn, 1977). Body length is one of the measures that has the The mean values obtained for the croup height highest rate of growth from birth to mature age. Cabral et al. corresponded to 53 and 73.4% of the mare croup height, at (2004) observed a growth rate of 42.6% in Mangalarga birth and at 75 days of age, respectively. Cabral et al. (2004) Marchador foals from birth to three months old, similar observed values higher than those in the present study of to that observed in the present study, of 39.4% from birth 63.2 and 77.6% in relation to mare croup height, at birth to 75 days of age, while Reed and Dunn (1977) observed and at three months old, respectively. The growth rate for a growth rate of 46.3% from birth to 12 months old in both withers height and croup height is high according to Arabian foals. In Thoroughbred foals, Thompson (1995) Hintz et al. (1976), who explained that the larger growth is observed a 60.6% growth for body length from two weeks due to the rapid bone development during the first months to about one year old. of life. The literature data showed that the increase of body Croup height is correlated with withers height, with length varies according to specific breed and the present mean values of croup height larger than 2-3 cm in this study, results clarify that the use of prebiotic in Mangalarga corroborating the results observed by Thompson (1995). Marchador breed did not affect this variable. The body The Mangalarga Marchador breed standard describes, for length of Mangalarga Marchador foals observed by registration purposes, that height at the withers and at the Cabral et al. (2004) reached values of 44.4 and 63.4% of croup are equal for males and for females it is acceptable the body length of mares at birth and at three months old, up two centimeters in the height at the withers (ABCCMM, respectively, similar to that observed in this study, of 42.2 2016). For the good body proportion of the breed, the croup and 58.9% of the body length of the mares from birth to 75 must be long, muscular, proportional, with sacral tuberosity days of age, respectively. slightly protruding and gently inclined. The foals are born Currently, the thoracic circumference measurement with the croup higher than the withers (Table 2), but the in foals is useful to estimate the body mass of the animal. height at the withers presents greater growth, with higher However, there is a wide variation of this parameter, since values to the mature age (Cabral et al., 2004). it depends on the breed size and, consequently, the weight In Mangalarga Marchador morphology evaluations, that they can reach at mature age. In this work, the thoracic the mid-back height and the thoracic circumference are circumference increased 27.5 cm from birth to 75 days old, important parameters, since they are indicative of the which was close to the value observed by Cabral (2004) for thoracic depth and characterize the cardiorespiratory Mangalarga Marchador foals, an increase of 32 cm in the capacity of the horse (Cabral et al., 2004). Cabral et al. thoracic circumference from birth to three months old. In (2004) observed a mean value for mid-back height of Quarter horse foals, Hunka et al. (2014) reported thoracic 29.5 cm at birth, which exceeded the mean value of 26 cm circumference values of 78.7, 97.4, 106.9, and 115.4 cm, in the present study. In addition, a well-placed gravity center at birth and at the first, second, and third months of life, is desirable as it emphasizes the fitness of the Mangalarga respectively. The growth corresponds to a 46.6% increase Marchador breed, which is a model horse for saddle and from birth to three months, higher than that observed in the carrying out daily activities. An ideal gravity center is when present study, of 38.8% from birth to 75 days of age. the mid-back height is equal, or close, to half the withers Values of limb circumference are important to evidence height. the ability of movements and to support body weight of Considering the mid-back height shorter than the foals, mainly of the animals used for marching competitions. substernal height, the horse is defined as “far from the Values of forearm circumference of 20 and 26 cm in ground”, characterizing long limbs that are favorable for Mangalarga Marchador foals at birth and at three months speed; however, when the mid-back height is larger than old, respectively, were observed by Cabral et al. (2004), the substernal height, the horse is defined as “close to the corresponding to an average increase of 6 cm, similar to ground”, characterizing short limbs that are unfavorable that observed in the foals of present study (4.6 cm). The for agility and more favorable for pulling (Ribeiro, 1988). same authors observed values of knee circumference of 21.2 Therefore, the mid-back height associated to the substernal and 24.9 cm in Mangalarga Marchador foals at birth and at height is an indicative of the dexterity and speed potential of three months old, respectively. These values corresponded horses. The average mid-back height and substernal height to 17.4% growth, which was 5.4% higher than in the present
R. Bras. Zootec., 46(9):747-754, 2017 Development of Mangalarga Marchador suckling foals supplemented with fructooligosaccharides 753 study. Cabral et al. (2004) also recorded shin circumferences Conclusions of 11.7 and 14.4 cm in Mangalarga Marchador foals at birth and at three months old, respectively, which correspond to The prebiotic fructooligosaccharides do not promote an increase of 23.1%. Manso Filho et al. (2014) observed significant differences in the development of suckling 11.3 and 14.1 cm of shin circumference of Mangalarga foals from birth to 75 days of age. Foals supplemented Marchador foals at birth and at three months old, which or not with prebiotics follow the normal growth pattern corresponds to an increase of 24.8%, while the present of the Mangalarga Marchador breed for the evaluated study reported an increase of 12.3%. age and the regression equations of the variables can be Respondek et al. (2011) did not observe differences used to predict the morphometric measures of Mangalarga between obese horses supplemented with FOS and the Marchador suckling foals. Although they do not improve control group for the morphometric variables of withers foal development, fructooligosaccharides have potential height, body length, and thoracic circumference, which is in to affect the gastrointestinal well-being, improve feed agreement with the results observed in this study. A similar conversion, and suppress pathogenic bacterial growth. study was performed with prebiotic supplementation in neonatal dairy calves, evaluating their development from Acknowledgments birth up to eight weeks old (Heinrichs et al., 2009) and no significant differences were observed in body weight, The article is part of the dissertation of the first author thoracic circumference, withers height, and croup height. presented to the Graduate Program in Animal Science The authors stated that, because the health of the animals of the Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro was considered excellent, it was not possible to observe (UFRRJ). The authors thank the Institute of Animal any improvement that could be attributed to the prebiotic Science of UFRRJ, for the support for this research; the as expected, given the potential of the supplement. In Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível a study by Berg et al. (2005), conducted with mature Superior (CAPES), for the Master’s fellowship grant to the horses, when FOS was added to the diet, 8.0 and 24 g, the first author; the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado amount of potentially harmful bacteria decreased and the do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ), for the expended resources; and number of Escherichia coli colonies decreased, even though Cabral’s Haras, for providing the Mangalarga Marchador the Lactobacillus count did not change. This may have foals and infrastructure support for this study. occurred in the present study, although the microorganisms were not counted, since no health problems were observed References in the foals during the experimental period. The evaluation of the morphological measures is of Almeida, F. Q.; Brito, C. O.; Santos, E. M.; Almeida, M. I. V.; Lopes, extreme importance for horse production, especially when B.; Corassa, A. and Soares Neto, J. 2000. Crescimento de potros da raça Mangalarga Marchador. p.642. In: Anais da 37ª Reunião it comes to growing foals, since, based on these measures, Anual da Sociedade Brasileira de Zootecnia. Sociedade Brasileira it is possible to follow the standard development using de Zootecnia, Viçosa, MG. regression equations to estimate de growth, avoiding sub ABCCMM - Associação Brasileira dos Criadores do Cavalo Mangalarga Marchador. 2016. Padrão da raça. Belo Horizonte. or super growth and compensatory gains. Moreover, these Available at:
R. Bras. Zootec., 46(9):747-754, 2017 754 Dias et al.
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